While the cost of living in Utah is 6% lower than the national average, that still doesn’t mean that you can sit down and twiddle your thumbs whenever you like. If you want to sustain your lifestyle, you need to go back to work or study. And when you are free, you might want to go out there with your friends or partner and enjoy a little bit of what the city has to offer. But what if you have children? What should you do? Should your life grind to a halt until they can take care of themselves?
If you’re a parent, it’s easy to feel guilty about letting others take care of your child. But you shouldn’t. If you choose the right caregiver, then there is nothing wrong with outsourcing child care in Salt Lake City.
So who should take care of your children?
1. The grandparents
If your parents or your partner’s parents live nearby, they might be able to take care of your child when you can’t. Grandparents are the most logical choice to take care of your young ones unless you come from a problematic family. Many of them will enjoy taking care of their grandchildren and bonding with them.
It is, however, vital to avoid taking your children’s grandparents for granted. While it’s perfectly fine for them to take care of your child for a few hours each week, it’s not okay for you to turn them into co-parents unless they ask for the job. They have their own lives to live.
2. Babysitters
Another option for you to consider when looking for caregivers for a child is a babysitter or nanny. These are professionals whose job is to take care of your child. On average, a babysitter or nanny in Salt Lake City expects to earn about $15 an hour.
As a parent, it’s up to you to decide if you are willing to pay this amount to ensure your child is taken care of. You might be able to pay less than that if you hire a local babysitter who is perhaps a high school or college student looking to make additional money. But if you hire a professional nanny, you should be prepared to pay the full price for your child’s care.
You have to determine whether it makes financial sense for you to hire a baby sitter in the long term. That will depend on how often and how long you intend to outsource child care. If you are away from home for only a few hours, then it will make sense. But if you have to work all day, hiring a professional babysitter can be unsustainable financially.
3. Child care centers
Your other option is to enroll your child in a child care center. These centers tend to take care of many children at the same time. That means your child will be able to socialize with others and develop skills that will help them relate with other people well in the future.
The cost of care in childcare centers depends on the business, your child’s age, and the special needs that they have. It might not make much sense to acquire these services if you want to outsource child care for only a few hours a week. But if you work or study for many hours each week, having your child enrolled in a childcare center can be the best thing for both of you. You can rest assured that your child will be under the care of professionals and will have other children to socialize with.
Your child is precious. So whom you entrust that child to matters a lot. For that reason, whether you leave the child with the grandparents, a babysitter or nanny, or in the care of Salt Lake City professionals in a childcare center, make sure you have made the right decision. Only then can you be at peace when you outsource child care.
